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What to do when you have one day in Lucknow

| What to do when you have a day in Lucknow |

Lucknow previously known as “Awadh” was seat of Delhi Sultanate that later came to be ruled by Nawabs. Awadh was one of the states where the Begums (Nawab’s wives) also played a significant in the affairs of the state, patronage of art and handicrafts that has survived through the times of British oppression in the form of chikankari embroidery and Zari embroidery.

Lucknow is a city where one day is not enough but if you are someone like me, who has only one day at hand, here is what you should do. I would definitely recommend you to visit Imambara Complex which contains the Rumi Darwaza, Imambara, Baoli (a step well), clock tower and the museum. We left our hotel after having breakfast to get a head start on the day. Our first stop was Imambara, it was not the first time that I was visiting Imamabara, but it leaves me awestruck every time I visit it.

Imambara was constructed by Nawab Asfad-ud-Daula to counter the effects of famine that struck Awadh, the construction of the structure and famine lasted eleven years. Both the ordinary citizens and nobles constructed the Imambara in the day and the structure was bought down during the night to provide employment to subjects of the Nawab. It is ironical that the same state was snatched away from the Nawab’s on the pretext of misrule by the British.

The architecture of Imambara is a mixture of Rajput and Mughal architecture with hints of Gothic architecture. The fishes and the “jharokha’s” are the rajputana influence with classic Mughal-style arches and stone-carving.

I always tend to get inspired by the place I travel to for my travel outfits and for a day of exploring in Lucknow, I wore a pastel pink chikankari kurta with white flared pants, thick payals and perforated pastel pink flats in case it rained.

Imambara has a 50 ft hall in the beautiful shade of mint and I have always wanted to photograph this hall, in all it’s glory with beautiful vintage colored glass chandeliers and beautifully carved arches. This hall is the largest hall in the world without any external support (like wood or iron etc).

We decided to head out to the old city to have an Authentic Mugalai lunch to refuel ourselves before we headed out for shopping.

Where to eat :

Tunday Kababi : Situatedin the hustling bustling market of Aminbad. This is one place you should definitely visit if you want to get a taste of authentic Awadhi food. Famous for Galauti Kebab made from minced meat,plain yogurt and spices, Shami kebab and rumali roti.
Cost : INR 300 for 2 people

Dastarkhwan : Situated in Hazratganj, this is another place you shouldn’t miss out on if you want to have Mughlai food. Famous for it’s firni, Galauti Kebab, Butter Chicken, Boti Kabab and Shirmaal.
Cost : INR 400 for 2 people

Where to shop :

Chikankari : Though Hazrat Ganj (a British constructed maket place with white pillars very similar to Cannaught Place) is the common suggestion one get’s on where to shop. I feel like a city’s heart resides in the old markets. So we headed to Chowk to buy chikankari. The Chowk market has narrow lanes with huge haweli’s and shops.”The shops in Hazrat Ganj sell at a price three times more than the price charged by us” claims the owner of Jain Chikan Shop in Chowk.

Jewellery : The Gadbad Jhala in Aminabad is the place to go if you are looking to buy to jewellery. You can find beautiful replica’s of gold jewelry, kundan jewellery and silver jewellery. You can stop by at Prakash Kulfi, one of the best and oldest kulfi shop’s after you are done with your shopping.

I got inspired by Lucknow for my outfit so I wore a pastel pink chikankari kurta with white ruffled pants. It was very humid so I decided to tie my hair into a pony tail to keep them out of my face. I wore rain friendly flats as we had a full day of walking ahead of us and pearl jhumka’s to go with my kurta.

Did you check out the part 1 of my Lucknow travel story? If not check it out here.Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for behind the scenes of my travel adventures.